Feb 24, 2016, 9:06 am
Last edit by: JDiver
Unaccompanied Minor Service / Travel on AA
Q. What does AA UNMR / Unaccompanied Minor Service consist of, and are there restrictions?
Unaccompanied minor service
Our unaccompanied minor service is to ensure your child is boarded onto the aircraft, introduced to the flight attendant, chaperoned during connections and released to the appropriate person at their destination.
We won’t accept unaccompanied minors when their itineraries include:
Our unaccompanied minor service is to ensure your child is boarded onto the aircraft, introduced to the flight attendant, chaperoned during connections and released to the appropriate person at their destination.
We won’t accept unaccompanied minors when their itineraries include:
- A connection to/from another airline, including codeshare and oneworld® partners
- Ground / co-terminal connections (unaccompanied minors under 15 years, can’t use ground transportation alone)
Guidelines for children traveling alone:
Age range Restrictions
0-5 Children under 5 years of age may not travel alone under any circumstances.
5-7 Can only travel on nonstop or direct flights. They can’t travel on certain flights on smaller aircraft when a flight attendant is not required.
8-14 Can travel on any nonstop or direct flight, or any connecting flight through Charlotte, NC (CLT), Washington Reagan, D.C. (DCA), Dallas Forth Worth, TX (DFW), New York, NY (JFK and LGA), Los Angeles, CA (LAX), Miami, FL (MIA), Chicago, IL (ORD), Philadelphia, PA (PHL) and Phoenix, AZ (PHX).
15-17 Children in this age range don’t have to use the unaccompanied minor service, but it’s still available to them. When traveling alone, children 16 years of age and older can book online, to book children 15 years of age, you’ll need to call Reservations.
Note: Children 2-14 years old can travel as an 'accompanied minor' with someone 16 years or older.
American Airlines' UNMR policy: Link
Link to PDF.
Age range Restrictions
0-5 Children under 5 years of age may not travel alone under any circumstances.
5-7 Can only travel on nonstop or direct flights. They can’t travel on certain flights on smaller aircraft when a flight attendant is not required.
8-14 Can travel on any nonstop or direct flight, or any connecting flight through Charlotte, NC (CLT), Washington Reagan, D.C. (DCA), Dallas Forth Worth, TX (DFW), New York, NY (JFK and LGA), Los Angeles, CA (LAX), Miami, FL (MIA), Chicago, IL (ORD), Philadelphia, PA (PHL) and Phoenix, AZ (PHX).
15-17 Children in this age range don’t have to use the unaccompanied minor service, but it’s still available to them. When traveling alone, children 16 years of age and older can book online, to book children 15 years of age, you’ll need to call Reservations.
Note: Children 2-14 years old can travel as an 'accompanied minor' with someone 16 years or older.
American Airlines' UNMR policy: Link
Link to PDF.
That will also differ by carrier, just as connection and other policies will differ. American charges $150 for one or two UNMRs each way.
American Airlines:
- The unaccompanied minor service fee is $150 (plus tax) each way
- 2 or more unaccompanied minors from the same family, traveling on the same flights, will only be charged $150 (plus tax) each way
Yes. AA requires proof of age for the child traveling alone (birth certificate, passport, etc.). The TSA will likely require this as well.
Q. What documentation do minors require for international travel?
Unaccompanied minors will generally require a passport internationally.
Be sure your unaccompanied minor has a letter signed by both parents / guardians (or copy of documentation showing there is one person with sole custody) granting him permission to travel and noting who s/he will be residing with (and I suggest another granting the adults s/he to secure medical care for the minor). The letter should probably be notarized.
US Department of State:
LETTER OF CONSENT FOR TRAVEL OF A MINOR CHILD
Because of increasing instances of child abduction in custody cases, and a growing number of children who are the victims of trafficking or pornography, an immigration officer, airline, or travel company may ask you to provide some form of letter of consent if your child is traveling internationally with only one parent or with another adult, such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc. The sample letter below is a guide only. You may also wish to have the letter of consent notarized.
Link to PDF of sample letter.
LETTER OF CONSENT FOR TRAVEL OF A MINOR CHILD
Because of increasing instances of child abduction in custody cases, and a growing number of children who are the victims of trafficking or pornography, an immigration officer, airline, or travel company may ask you to provide some form of letter of consent if your child is traveling internationally with only one parent or with another adult, such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc. The sample letter below is a guide only. You may also wish to have the letter of consent notarized.
Link to PDF of sample letter.
Q. What if the minor is traveling internationally with another adult (accompanied minor)?
See the letter authorizing travel, mentioned above. As well, you can ask AA to add a "TCP* note" in his PNR (booking record) to show s/he is traveling with another adult(s) other than both parents (one parent, relatives, friends). It might be useful to do the same for the adult; this also may help the airline to assure they're not assigned different flights in case of travel disruption.
Q. Anything else?
Yes. It may be wise to assure the unaccompanied minor is covered by health / medical insurance or coverage in the destination country in addition to having a medical care authorization letter.
Even some countries with universal healthcare may be quite expensive for a person who is not a legal resident of that country.
Be sure to prepare a "care pack" - perhaps school size backpack - with books, games, etc. for distraction and entertainment. Airline unaccompanied minor services do not include continual supervision on the plane, nor are the crew charged with entertaining a child, merely with safeguarding their safety and boarding, disembarking, assuring they get available water and food, etc.
* "To Complete Party"
AA Unaccompanied Minor / UNMR Policy and Discussion (consolidated)
Jan 16, 2015, 12:50 pm
#16
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Rather than lying, why not use another airline which does not require those aged between 12-14 to be treated as UMs
United ( like most non US airlines ime), for example, allows those 12 or older to travel unaccompanied. If you book on UA, no need to worry about lying or paying UM fees ( see http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...s/default.aspx )
Unless UA is significantly more expensive, it looks like an easy $300 saving
United ( like most non US airlines ime), for example, allows those 12 or older to travel unaccompanied. If you book on UA, no need to worry about lying or paying UM fees ( see http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...s/default.aspx )
Originally Posted by United
Children ages 12 to 17 can use United's Unaccompanied Minor service for travel on nonstop flights operated by United or United Express, or they can travel as adults on any flights without using United's unaccompanied minor service.
Jan 16, 2015, 12:51 pm
#17
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https://www.southwest.com/html/custo...inors-pol.html
Jan 16, 2015, 12:54 pm
#18
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Rather than lying, why not use another airline which does not require those aged between 12-14 to be treated as UMs
United ( like most non US airlines ime), for example, allows those 12 or older to travel unaccompanied. If you book on UA, no need to worry about lying or paying UM fees ( see http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...s/default.aspx )
United ( like most non US airlines ime), for example, allows those 12 or older to travel unaccompanied. If you book on UA, no need to worry about lying or paying UM fees ( see http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...s/default.aspx )
Jan 16, 2015, 12:56 pm
#19
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It doesn't solve the problem entirely but would still save $150 since the 13 year old would not need to travel as a UM under UA policy
Indeed SouthWest does seem to have the ideal policy for the OP
Jan 16, 2015, 2:13 pm
#21
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 5
There isn't much for direct flights but Southwest does have one. CLE->PHX.
Pardon the absence of details (there are BA Avios involved in this) but I think I got it solved that both makes me a little more comfortable as well as completely compliant. I have a really good family friend who's sister lives in PHX. I offered to pay about 75% of his ticket. It's a win/win. I get someone to accompany my kids, airline get's compliance, and he get's a cheap ticket to go see his sister.
Pardon the absence of details (there are BA Avios involved in this) but I think I got it solved that both makes me a little more comfortable as well as completely compliant. I have a really good family friend who's sister lives in PHX. I offered to pay about 75% of his ticket. It's a win/win. I get someone to accompany my kids, airline get's compliance, and he get's a cheap ticket to go see his sister.
Jan 16, 2015, 4:17 pm
#22
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It's possible that the rules have changed since July. However, at the time, AA permitted a UAM at 12 with no issue, and it wasn't against the rules at the time. Using the UAM service was optional for 12 year olds.
Jan 16, 2015, 4:27 pm
#23
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The current policy came into effect on 3rd September 2014
Jan 16, 2015, 4:59 pm
#24
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Nevertheless, that ain't the rule no more, so spending big bucks or flying the kids on WN are the OP's options.
Jan 18, 2015, 5:58 am
#25
Join Date: May 2006
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I have been dealing with this same issue with my son. He just turned 15 so thankfully it's over. He is Gold on AA and has been traveling alone since turning 12 but AA changed their policy to align itself with US and for the last three months every ticket I bought went up $300 in cost round trip. At least on the AA website I was no longer able to book and pay for his ticket without contacting an agent by phone. As soon as I entered his advantage number it recognized his age and stopped the booking process. My son is huge and no doubt would pass form 16 or 17 but I never considered lying.
If you do consider booking your kids on another airline with a more relaxed policy my advise is to never book the last flight of the day just to make sure that they would never be stuck. Actually, that is good advise even when they are 15.
Really, I feel your pain paying the uge UM fee and I hope that you find a solution that works for your family.
If you do consider booking your kids on another airline with a more relaxed policy my advise is to never book the last flight of the day just to make sure that they would never be stuck. Actually, that is good advise even when they are 15.
Really, I feel your pain paying the uge UM fee and I hope that you find a solution that works for your family.
Jan 21, 2015, 7:04 am
#27
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I started sending my girls to see their grandparents, alone, when they were 12 and 10. It was always on WN award tix and always with connecting flights. Was I nervous? Yes, just as I am now that they're 19 and 17.
My tips for any parent sending their child/children as a UAM:
Always book early flights so the chance of them being rerouted is greater in the case of IROPS.
Engage your network of friends and family. Who do you know in the connecting cities that would be willing to meet up with your child if they were "stuck" for an extended period of time? Same thing if there was a diversion.
I gave my oldest daughter a credit card in her name to use in case of an emergency. She still has it and uses it for emergencies like buying pizza for her friends today at 19. LOL
I think it goes without saying that they have a mobile phone with all necessary phone numbers entered in contacts.
My tips for any parent sending their child/children as a UAM:
Always book early flights so the chance of them being rerouted is greater in the case of IROPS.
Engage your network of friends and family. Who do you know in the connecting cities that would be willing to meet up with your child if they were "stuck" for an extended period of time? Same thing if there was a diversion.
I gave my oldest daughter a credit card in her name to use in case of an emergency. She still has it and uses it for emergencies like buying pizza for her friends today at 19. LOL
I think it goes without saying that they have a mobile phone with all necessary phone numbers entered in contacts.
Jan 21, 2015, 11:34 am
#28
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I've been in the same predicament in the past: both in sending my kids on trains in the EU and flights here. IRROPS are really no problem since there are so many on-line resources for realtime monitoring of their progress - or lack thereof. Many airports offer assistance in greeting passengers, and in the event of missed fights, etc., one can easily work remotely, behind the scenes to book new ones. Overnight hotels can be problematic, so as mentioned upthead one wants to choose early AM departures, and days with good WX on both ends.
Jan 21, 2015, 12:46 pm
#29
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Jan 22, 2015, 9:11 am
#30
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